Suction cleaner



June 30, 1942. H. B. WHITE sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed May 9, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Harry B. miie ArfronNEY June 3o, 1942. H; B. WHITE 2,287,922

SUCTION CLEANER Filed May 9'J V1932s s sheets-sheet 5 Fi .6 I

INVENTOR White ATTORNEY new and improved suction cleaner.

Patented June 30, 1942 Harry B. White, North Canton, Ohio, assigner to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, 'a

corporation of Ohio Application May 9, 1938, Serial No. 206,761

(Cl. 15-8) c s claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to power-trans- I mission means in suction cleaners. ically the invention comprises a suction 4cleaner in which the surface covering agitator can be completely disconnected from the driving motor.

It is an object of the invention to provide a other object, of the invention to provide a new and improved' power-transmission means in a suction cleaner. A further object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner in which the driving motor can be disconnected from the surface covering agitator. A still further object is to provide a suction cleaner in which the surface covering agitator in connectable to or disconnectable from the driving motor by means which do not include a running idler pulley. Still another object of the invention is to provide means by which the motor-driven driving pulley which is connected to the cleaner' agitator by abelt is shifted entirely from connection with the motor to permit the agitator to remain inoperative. Still another object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner in which the motor driven agitator pulley is shiftable from its driving connection with the motor to a stationary position in which it is entirely free from the motor. Another object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner in which the drive pulgley is completely disconnected from the driving shaft by manually operable means for 'the purpose of disconnecting the agitator from the driving motor. These and other more specific objects will appear .upon reading the followingv specification and claims.

Referring now to the drawings'in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are, i

cleaner shown in Figure 1 upon the line 2 2 thereof;

Figure 3Ais an enlarged showing of the section Y of the clutch mechanism found in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 but with the clutch in the disconnected or open position;

l Figure 5 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows upon the line 5-5 of Figure 4 and shows the clutch-operating lever in the clutchopen position;

More specif- Figure 6 is a detail view of the centrifugalweight unit of the clutch;

Figure 7 isa side view of the unit shown in Figure 6;

tioning as a belt channel.

Figure 8 is a view, partly in section, ofthe pulleyfunit;

Figure 9 is a. view of the clutch mechanism in the driving relationship being a section taken l upon the line 9 9 of Figure 2.

AThe modern suction cleaner accomplishes its cleaning purpose by combining surface agitation with air cleaning. Both functions are essential to remove all of the foreign material from a sur.- face covering to be cleaned. The modern suction cleaner, however, is also adapted for oithe-floor cleaning as well as'on-the-oor cleaning. In the former operation, the surface-agitating means perform no useful' function and it is desirable thatl they be rendered inoperative.

To effect this disconnection of .the agitating means the present invention provides an improved construction, a construction in which there are no friction losses with the agitator disconnected from its driving source, and in which the connecting means are sure and positive in their operation.

'I'he cleaner in which the invention is embodied includes an ambulatory nozzle unit which pivotally carries a motor-fan-handle-bag unit., which is commonly referred to as the motor-fan unit. The nozzle unit is seen to comprise a nozzle I provided with front and rear surface-contacting lips 2 and 3 respectively, 'which define the nozzle mouth. Passageways 4 and 5 open into the nozzle and extend rearwardly and upwardly therefrom, the 'passageway 4 serving as an air passageway and the passageway 5 func- Side-walls 6, 6 extend backwardly from the nozzle proper l, and at the sides of the passageways 4 and '5, to form rearward extensions of the nozzle unit in order that it can support the pivoted parts of the machine in all angular positions. Beneath the walls 6, 6 and immediately in the rearnof the nozzle I are front supporting wheels 1, 1 While at the rear of the side arms, formed by the walls, are rear supporting wheels 8, 8. The vlatter are pivotally carried by U-frame 9 which is itself pivotally mounted upon transverse shaft l0 connecting the nozzle unit arms. The shaft II of the wheels 8, 8 is L-shaped and extends upwardly through one of the walls 6 to be provided at its top with suitable rotatable knob I2 by which it can be raised and lowered for the purpose of raising and lowerin'g the Wheels. i

limited angular rotation upon the nozzle'unit and more particularly between the rearwardly extending side walls 6, 6. Suitable sealed joints, as illustrated at I5 p'ivotally mount the casing of motor-fan unit I6 upon the nozzle unit, and more particularly upon and between the inner walls of passageways 4 and 5. The casing of the unit I6 is in fact a motor casing adjacent the passageway 5 and a fan casing adjacent the air passageway 4. Within the latter portion is positioned a suction-creating fan I1 which is carried by the extended motor shaft I8 which also extends into the passageway 5 being suitably `mounted in bearings, asat I9. The fan/ chamber is connected to the air passageway 4 at its eye 20 and is formed with an exhaust out- 'let 2| which is anged at its end and carries.

manually operable clamping nuts 22, 22 by which the ring 23 of a dust bag 24 may be removably clamped. The exhaust outlet 2| extends between the rearwardly extending side walls 6, 6 of the nozzle unit, as is clearly seen in Figures 1 and 2,

the arrangement being such that the motor-fanh unit can pivot from a position in which the exhaust outlet extends substantially horizontally, as illustrated in Figure 2, to a position in which it extends substantially vertically having rotated through an angleof 90 degrees or Ithereabouts.

An operating handle 21, through which current-carrying leads 28, 28 extend, seats in a socket 29 formed on the motor-fan unit casing immediately above the exhaust outlet 2|. 'Ihe handle may be of any suitable design and preferably supports the upper end of the dust bag 24 in a manner common and well known in the suction cleaner art. Itis through the handle 21 that the operator exerts the propelling force upon the cleaner and angular movement of the handle is permitted by the rotation of the motor-fan unit I6 -upon the nozzle unit. The handle is retained within various positions, and certain intermediate ranges of movement, by handle-position-controlling means comprising an arcuate sector 32 formed upon its periphery with detent seats with which cooperates a spring-pressed roller detent 33 pivotally carried by t'hewheel supporting shaft I but spring-pressed into contact with the sector by a coil spring 34.

The cleaner proper is completed by the rotary agitator 38 formed with surface agitating elements 39 and a pulley 40 which is positioned within the nozzle I and is adapted to contact a surface covering undergoing cleaning between the lips 2 and 3. A power-transmission belt 4I extends rearwardly from the agitator pulley 40 through the belt channel to the driving pulley 42 which is driven by the motor shaft I8 through a clutch mechanism which comprises the present invention. i

According to the present embodiment of the invention the motor shaft I8 is continued or extended at its belt housing end by an extension 45 which is suitably screw threaded to the shaft proper I8. Extension 45 carries a radial plate member 46 to the outer face of which is riveted a friction disc 41 having a beveled periphery, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 6. Centrifugal weights 49, 4s are pivotedupon pins carried by plate 46 and extend upon both sides thereof. Circular springs 50, 50 extend between the weights 49, 49 and exert a force which at all times urges radially outwardly the side of the weights having the greater mass so that the opposite ends thereof, which are formed as ngers,

are held in an inner position. The extension 45, the plate 46 with its friction disc 41, and the centrifugal weights 49, 49 rotate at all times with the motor shaft I8 and form what may be called the shaft or driving unit of the clutch.

The pulley unit 42 is seen to comprise, in addition to the pulley surface proper, an enlarged drum 54 formed'with one beveled side and with a peripheral flange 55. A counterbored sleeve 56 forms a part of the unit and extends inwardly angers 4s, 49.. The relationship ofv the bevels upon the shoulder 51 and at the ends of the fingers 49, 49 is such that a sufficient axial force exerted upon the pulley forces the fingers outwardly to disengage them from the shoulder 51 and permits the vpulley unit to slide axially outward on the shaft. With the pulley in the inner and driving relationship however, the friction disc 41 of the driving unit is in contact with and seats the beveled surface of the drum 54, as illustrated in Figure 3, and rotation of the shaft causes rotation of the pulley unit. In the outer axial position of the pulley unit,zhowever, the drum is moved from the friction disc, as illustrated in Figure 4 and the entire pulley unit, including the sleeve 56, is supported free from the driving unit by. means of a stationary seat. This stationary seatY comprises an enclosing ring 60 of ber material carried byA a supporting bracket 6 I, the ring or seat 60 being so positioned.

thatas the pulley unit slides axially outward from its inner position a cylindrical portion of the drum 54 slides into the seat to the position illustrated in Figure 4. Thereafter the entire pulley unit is supported free from the driving shaft and the driving unit of the driving shaft.

According-to this embodiment of the invention the pulley is disconnected from the driving motor as the cleaner handle is moved to the vertical position. 'Ihis is known as the storage position of the handle and is the position which itl assumes normally when the machine is used in oiT-the-Iioor cleaning. To accomplish this result there is provided upon the side of the casing of fan-motor unit I6 a cam boss 65 which contacts and pivots outwardly, as the handle is pivoted into the vertical position, a lever 66 carried by shaft 61. U-shaped arms 68, 68 form a frame which is flxedly secured by pins to the shaft 61 so that the buttons 69, 69 which are spaced upon the opposite sides of each arm immediately adjacent the peripheral rim of the pulley drum 54, are movable into contact with the rim to shift the pulley unit axially as the shaft is rotated by the lever. The pulley unit is shifted by the shifting means into the seat where it is held so long as the handle is in the vertical position. Upon the movement of bossv from contact with the lever 66, however, a coil spring 10 encircling and acting upon the shaft 61 moves the arms 68, 68 and so the buttons 69, 69 upon the opposite side of the drum flange 55, into contact therewith and the pulley In on-the-floor cleaning the impetus provided by the driving motor of the the motor shaft. The foreign material dislodged y from the surface covering is carried by the air stream through the passageway 4 into the fan chamber and exhausted by the suction-creating fan I1 through the exhaust outlet 2| into the filter bag 24 at which point the suspended foreign material is removed from the air which passes j out into the surrounding atmosphere. So long as the machine continues to function as an on-thefloor cleaner the relationship described continues and the agitator is directly connected to the power source and rotates at all times.

If the operator desires to convert the cleaner into an off-the-oor cleaner, he raises the operating handle 21 to the vertical position andsuitably connects to the eye 20 of the fan chamber, in any usual manner which forms no part of the present invention, the dusting tools so that articles, etcl, positioned off the floor may be cleaned. The movement of the handle to the vertical position functions to disconnect entirely from the driving motor the agitator 38 by axially shifting the pulley unit 42 onto the stationary seat 60 in which itis spaced from all rotating parts actuated by the motor. This operation results from the movement ofthe casingcar'ried boss 65 into contact with the operating lever 66 which in turn rotates the shaft`61 carrying the actuating mechanism comprising the arms 68, 68. The movement of these arms brought the buttons 69, 69 upon one side of the peripheral flange 55 into contact therewith and the continued movement of the arms caused the pulley unit to be shifted axially, it being necessary only to exert a slight axial force to cause the sloping shoulders of the beveled shoulder 5T of pulley carried sleeve 56 to pivot the locking centrifugal fingers 49 outwardly. A further slight axial movement of the pulley unit seats the hub portion of the unit within the seat 60 Where it position the beveled face of the drum 54 of the pulley unit seats in contact with the fiber plate 41 and driving contact is positive between the drive shaft and the unit and the pulley.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner or the like, a shaft, a friction pulley seat carried by said shaft, a pulley including a pulley surface and a drum slidable on said shaft and adapted to seat with said drum on said seat in one axial position, centrifugally operable ngers to clamp said pulley in seating relationship to said seat, spring means to hold said fingers-in clamping relationship in the absence of centrifugal force, a stationary pulley seat to receive and support said pulley free from said shaft in a second axial position, said stationary seat contacting the drum of said pulley, and manually operable means to contact said pulley drum to move said pulley between said seats.

2. In a suction cleaner or the like, a shaft, a pulley seat carried by said shaft, a pulley slldable on said shaft and including a drum adapted to seat on said seat, a centrifugally actuated spring-pressed retainer securing said pulley to said seat, a stationary pulley seat adapted to receive said pulley upon the latter being moved axially from the shaft-carried seat, and manually operable means -normally out of contact with said pulley to shift said pulley between said seats.

3. 4In a suction cleaner or the like, a station.

ary body, a rotatable shaft carried bysaid body, a pulley seat carried by said shaft and rotatable therewith, a stationary pulley seat carried by said body spaced axially of said shaft from said rotatable pulley seat, a pulley including surfaces to seat singlyv and independently upon said seats in spaced axial positions of said pulley, said pulley being completely detached from said shaft in one position and from said stationary body in the other position, centrifugally operated means carried by said shaft to secure said pulley to said rotatable seat, and manually operable means spaced entirely from said pulley when on said rotatable seat to shift said pulley between said seats.

4. In a suction cleaner or the like, a ystationary body, a rotatable shaft carried by said body, a pulley seat 'carried by said shaft and rotatable therewith, a stationary pulley seat carried by said body spaced axially of said shaft from said rotatable pulley seat, a pulley including surfaces to seat singly and independently upon said seats in moves out from its contact with the actuating lever 66. The lever-actuated arms 68, 68 then move in the opposite direction under the actuation of the coil spring 10 and the pulley unit is shifted inwardly from'its stationary seat 60. The inward radial movement of the pulley unit 42 first brings the beveled shoulder 51 of the sleeve 56 into contact with the inner ends of fingers 49, 49 and these fingers are cammed outwardly until they ride over: the top of the shoulder and lock upon the opposite side thereof, as illustrated in Figure 3. The springs 50, 50 acting upon thengers 49, 49 together with the centrifugal force exerted by the fingers upon the opposite side of their `pivot points from the shoulders, the greater mass of the fingers being at that point, serves to secure the sleeve 5S, 'and so the driving unit 45 of the motor shaft. In this fixed spaced axial positions of said pulley,` said pulley being completely detached from said shaft in one position and from said stationary body in the other position, a plurality of centrifugally opera rotatable pulley seat comprising a beveled friction plate carried by said shaft and rotatable therewith, a stationary pulley seat of non-metallic material carried by said body spacedaxially of said shaft from said rotatable pulley seat, a pulley including surfaces, one of which is beveled, to seat singly and independently upon said f supporting means, a rotary agitator in said nozzle, and a pivoted fan chamberunit mounted on said unit including a fan chamber and a handie, a driving shaft'actuating said fan, and 'power-transmission means between said-agitator and I said shaft; a rotatable pulley seat carried by said shaft, a stationary vpulley seat carried by said nozzle unit, in axial alignment with respect to said shaft, and spaced axially from said rotatable seat, a pulley unitv shiftable axially between said pulley seats, centrifugally operated means carried by said shaft to secure said shaft to said rotatable seat, and means actuated by the pivotal movement of said fan chamber unit to shift said pulley unit between said seats.

HARRY B. WHITE. 

